Chapter 652: Butcher

"Enter and rest!" the cultivator, holding a boning knife, calmly ordered. Though full of doubt, the Immortal Yuan Guards uniformly obeyed and returned to the building where they had previously hidden.

Immediately, the cultivator looked up towards Lu Ye, his sharp gaze filled with scrutiny and suspicion.

Although he had sensed Lu Ye hiding nearby earlier, he didn't know who Lu Ye was, nor had Immortal Yuan City ever witnessed methods for controlling insectoids.

During the intense battle, he couldn't afford to think too much. Now that the fight was over, it was natural for him to seek an explanation.

Sensing the other's gaze, Lu Ye voluntarily revealed himself.

Even with the cultivator's steady temperament, one that allowed him to remain unfazed even in the face of death, he couldn't help but be startled the moment he saw Lu Ye: "How can it be you?"

Of course, he remembered Lu Ye.

A year or two ago, when the Immortal Yuan City's secret realm opened, Lu Ye had entered. At that time, he had even been transformed into a melancholy spirit by Amber and had remained active by Lu Ye's side for quite a while.

Back then, Lu Ye was at the eighth-layer Spirit Stream Realm, but now, in his eyes, Lu Ye possessed the cultivation level of the True Lake Realm. Such a growth rate was truly astonishing.

For a moment, he even thought his memory of time was playing tricks on him.

The cultivator's spontaneous remark confirmed to Lu Ye that the person before him was indeed the one from last time.

Back then, Amber had transformed many melancholy spirits, though most were Immortal Yuan Guards. There were only five special spirits: the original Liu Sanbao, followed by the Pipa Girl, the Scholar, the Butcher, and the Blind Fortune Teller.

These five special melancholy spirits each possessed their own unique skills, and their cultivation and methods were far superior to those of ordinary Immortal Yuan Guards.

During that expedition to the Immortal Yuan City secret realm, the Immortal Yuan Guard melancholy spirits under Lu Ye's command changed rapidly, but only these five special spirits remained by his side throughout.

When they finally encountered the Immortal Yuan City Lord, the connection between these spirits and Amber was severed by the City Lord's techniques.

At the time, Lu Ye felt it was quite a pity, because apart from the unique environment of Immortal Yuan City, Amber had no other place where she could freely transform melancholy spirits.

After all, outside, Lu Ye had never encountered any other spirit-like existences apart from Yiyi.

The individual before him, who appeared to be at the Divine Sea Realm, was one of those five special melancholy spirits from back then: The Butcher!

"Senior, it's been a long time." Lu Ye cupped his fist in greeting. He didn't know the man's name, but given his cultivation, addressing him as "Senior" was certainly appropriate.

Both the human and the spirit were filled with questions.

One wondered how Lu Ye appeared here and could even control insectoids!

The other wondered how someone who was merely at the Spirit Stream Realm had suddenly reached the Divine Sea Realm.

However, the street was clearly not the place for conversation. The Butcher gestured, "Come inside to talk!"

Lu Ye nodded, flashed forward, and entered the building with him. As for his insectoid squad, there was no need to worry; they could remain outside.

Inside, a dozen Immortal Yuan Guards were meditating. The recent battle had left them visibly exhausted, and some of their bodies appeared less solid.

This clearly indicated excessive consumption of energy. Spirit bodies, unlike physical bodies, exist between solid and ethereal states. Over-consumption leads to such symptoms, and in severe cases, they might even become transparent and then dissipate.

Lu Ye's current state was also similar to a spirit body, but unlike a pure spirit body, he retained the ability to consume spirit pills to replenish his spiritual power.

The Immortal Yuan Guards, however, lacked this ability. So, even if they rested here, without a way to replenish their depleted soul power, prolonged rest would be futile, at best only reducing mental fatigue.

"Sir, this is..."

When Lu Ye followed the Butcher inside, the dozen Immortal Yuan Guards were all surprised.

Immortal Yuan City was vast and had many Immortal Yuan Guards. However, after years of living together, almost every guard knew exactly who was in the city and what they looked like.

The sudden appearance of an unfamiliar face naturally caused astonishment.

The Butcher, however, had no intention of explaining. He simply said, "Rest well, there will be more battles ahead!"

Then he led Lu Ye directly to the second floor.

Only after Lu Ye's figure disappeared from view did one Immortal Yuan Guard seem to awaken from a dream and whisper, "I remember now, I was killed by this guy last time." He was, of course, referring to Lu Ye's previous visit to Immortal Yuan City.

If Lu Ye had been there, he would surely have been bewildered. If he had been killed, why was he still standing there perfectly fine?

Another Immortal Yuan Guard reacted, "So, he's an outsider?"

"Has the secret realm opened? No, that's not right. The secret realm always shows signs before opening, and it's not time for it yet. Besides, during the insectoid siege, the secret realm can't possibly open. How did he get in?"

"Compared to that, I'm more concerned about some anomalies in the recent battle. Those few insectoids were actually hunting their own kind, as if they were being controlled. And the Adult didn't order us to kill them. It seems the one secretly controlling those insectoids is this person!"

"How can such a method exist in this world? Wasn't it said that insectoids couldn't be controlled?"

"Who knows? Perhaps someone has developed a way to control insectoids in this era."

The Immortal Yuan Guards chatted animatedly, one after another.

This was quite different from Lu Ye's impression of the Immortal Yuan Guards.

In his memory, Immortal Yuan Guards were generally low-intelligence spirits, and even the captain-level ones behaved rigidly. That's why he was so impressed by special spirits like the Butcher, whose behavior was indistinguishable from that of living people.

But now, it seemed that apart from their spirit bodies, the Immortal Yuan Guards were no different from living people in other respects.

The entire Immortal Yuan City seemed to be shrouded in a thick layer of mist.

On the second floor, the Butcher led Lu Ye to a seat, then went to the window to observe quietly for a while before turning back.

Frowning as he looked at Lu Ye, the Butcher asked, "Are you dead?"

Lu Ye hadn't expected the man's first question to make him roll his eyes in exasperation. He immediately shook his head and denied, "No."

"Then how did you get in? It's not the time for the secret realm to open."

Only when the secret realm opened would many living people appear in Immortal Yuan City, just like last time. But once the secret realm closed, those living people would be expelled.

For countless years, Immortal Yuan City had always been this way; outsiders almost never appeared when the secret realm was not open.

Lu Ye replied, "I entered with the help of a Breath Fruit Core."

"A Breath Fruit Core?" The Butcher frowned, clearly unfamiliar with such an item.

Lu Ye was about to take out the Breath Fruit Core to show him but then remembered that he had entered this place as a spirit body. Although all his belongings from his storage bag and space were brought in, the key to opening the mirage realm could not be.

So, he proceeded to describe the appearance of the Breath Fruit Core to the Butcher and explained its wondrous uses.

The Butcher vaguely understood what Lu Ye was referring to, but what puzzled him was how that item could allow a living person to enter Immortal Yuan City as a spirit body. However, after a moment's thought, he seemed to gain some insight.

If that were the case, it wasn't impossible, especially considering the exalted nature of that entity.

But if it truly was the case, then this young man before him was quite extraordinary, as ordinary people were not qualified to be treated in such a manner.

"What's your name?" the Butcher asked.

"Junior Lu Ye, a disciple of the Blood Sect," Lu Ye replied. "How should I address you, Senior?"

"Didn't you call me the Butcher? Just call me that."

Lu Ye had addressed him as such during his last visit, and he certainly remembered.

Lu Ye felt a bit abashed...

The Butcher, however, paid it no mind. "I was indeed a butcher in Immortal Yuan City, so your address isn't wrong..." At this point, as if remembering something, he cautioned Lu Ye, "But if you happen to see that woman, don't call her 'Whimperer.' If she hears it, she'll definitely be displeased, and you'll suffer for it."

Lu Ye broke into a cold sweat...

The "Whimperer" was the Pipa Girl. Her sound attack was formidable, capable of disturbing minds and confusing senses. Among the five special melancholy spirits, the Whimperer Pipa Girl played the most significant role. Whether facing cultivators from the Myriad Demon Ridge or Immortal Yuan Guards, her pipa music combined with her whimpering sounds would reduce the enemy's combat effectiveness by at least thirty percent.

"Her name is Xi Wanying."

"Junior has noted it," Lu Ye affirmed with a serious nod, secretly admonishing himself: "Whimperer" is Xi Wanying, and Xi Wanying is "Whimperer"!

But remembering might be useless; he had called her that last time. If the woman was truly resentful, he would surely be taught a lesson once they met again.

Lu Ye asked nervously, "Senior, how does Senior Xi's cultivation compare to yours..."

"Higher than mine!" The Butcher's single sentence shattered Lu Ye's illusion.

He could only secretly pray that he wouldn't encounter her this time.

"Senior, what's going on with your cultivation? Last time I saw you, weren't you only at the Spirit Stream Realm?" Lu Ye voiced his confusion. "Also, what exactly is Immortal Yuan City, and why did I suddenly appear here?"

The Butcher replied, "Cultivation is not always what it seems. Last time, when the secret realm opened, us old geezers were just playing a game with you youngsters. The level of cultivation we displayed directly depended on the strength of your cultivation."

"A game?" Lu Ye was puzzled.

"It's merely a diversion throughout countless ages. You can think of it as a game that helps us retain our humanity. There's no need to know anything else."

Lu Ye nodded in a daze, but he did understand the Butcher's meaning. Last time, when the Immortal Yuan City secret realm opened, the cultivators who entered were generally at the eighth or ninth layer of the Spirit Stream Realm. Therefore, the cultivation levels displayed by the Butcher and others were also within that range; while slightly higher, they weren't significantly so.

"As for Immortal Yuan City and why you're here... if you get a chance to meet the City Lord, ask him. If he's willing to tell you, he will."